Ocean Witch
by royaltyjunk
Summary: Not Hugh and Rosa, though. They're not the ones getting married, they're not the ones walking down the aisle together as the cheers rise from the people around them.


Summary:

Not Hugh and Rosa, though. They're not the ones getting married, they're not the ones walking down the aisle together as the cheers rise from the people around them.

 _Author's Ideas: 2/4 of my birthday gifts to you guys. I need to write something for Pokémon, so. Yeah. Also, Sequelshipping is one of my OTPs like mmm that's some good shit-_

 _Disclaimer: Obviously don't own Pokémon._

* * *

Ocean Witch

* * *

They get married on the Royal Unova with the sun setting in the background, setting the sea afire in a burst of sparkles.

Not Hugh and Rosa, though. They're not the ones getting married, they're not the ones walking down the aisle together as the cheers rise from the people around them. It's Rosa and some movie star that Hugh knows, but is just too anguished to remember.

N taps Hugh's shoulder, and he jolts up. "What?"

"We're going inside now. Dinner's being served. You've been sitting out here for long enough. Come with us."

"Oh. Thanks," Hugh grunts, stumbling up from his seat. N reaches out to steady him, but Hugh shrugs off his hand, hurrying to catch up with the crowd, disappearing down the stairs inside the boat.

Hilda, at the end of the crowd, turns at the sound of pounding footsteps. Hugh slows beside her, and she pats him on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs, soft enough for only him to hear. "It must suck."

Hugh doesn't respond, and Hilda glances at him worriedly.

N sidles up next to him, and Hugh pushes forward through the crowd. As he leaves behind Hilda and N, he hears her whisper to her husband, "Will he be okay?"

"He'll be fine," N answers in his quiet voice, "love does that."

Hugh speeds up his walking pace in response, and almost bumps into Cheren, who is walking in front of him. Cheren grunts, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes flash with an unidentifiable emotion, and he falls into step with the young man.

"You all act like I'm going to bite your heads off," Hugh mutters. "I don't see why."

Cheren's mouth twitches into a slight smile. "We never know with you, Hugh."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hugh growls.

"Whatever you want it to mean," Cheren responds cryptically, adjusting his tie. Hugh cocks an eyebrow at him, but doesn't say another word.

They're all seated in the dining room afterwards, which fills with chattering and gossiping. Drinks and food are served, and he eats in silence. Hugh lowers his gaze, staring at his clenched hands settled in his lap.

Cheren sits in the seat beside him silently. Bianca smiles at the two of them from her seat beside Cheren. N nods at the childhood friends, and Hilda waves at them from beside her husband.

He ignores the worried eyes on him, glaring at every gaze he manages to catch. They all avert their eyes sheepishly, and he sighs.

"This is ridiculous," he murmurs under his breath.

"It's not ridiculous," Cheren responds sharply, "we're just worried about you. All of us are."

Hugh just rolls his eyes and clenches his fists under the table. He lets out an angry breath, and N glances at him from the corner of his eyes before turning his head away pointedly, leaning over to whisper in Hilda's ear.

"Leave him be," Hilda mutters back, before standing and raising her voice. "Might I propose a toast? To Rosa, Nate, and their love."

Mutters of approval drift through the boat, and everyone toasts to them. A boisterous laugh bubbles out of Hilda, and everyone joins in. Hugh uses the din to slip away, ignoring Bianca and N calling for him.

The black-haired man steps onto the deck of the Royal Unova, leaning over the railing. He stares out over the ship, onto the sea that reflects the setting sun in his eyes. The ocean is set ablaze by the large star in the sky, and sparkles with red, orange, pink and white, all sorts of colors that reflect in his eyes.

"What are you doing out here?" Rosa's light voice asks from behind him, weaved with happiness.

"Looking at the sea like I always do," Hugh responds, trying to keep the dullness out of his voice. "What are you doing out here? It's your wedding, you should be inside."

"I couldn't find you, that's why." Rosa pops up next to him. "I thought you'd be out here, and voila."

He snorts and attempts to hide his smirk, but she catches it and pouts at him.

"Hugh, you bully."

"You're welcome, Rosa." His smile blossoms, and she nudges him gently. He holds still, staring out over the vast sparkling sea. She goes silent next to him, following his gaze across the sea.

"I wish I could get in," Hugh murmurs regretfully. "Water's always helped me, you know?"

"Even if today's supposed to be a happy day?" She tilts her head, and Hugh flinches.

"I didn't mean it like that, it's just-" He sighs, turning away. "It's hard to explain, okay?"

"Well, if I could," Rosa turns to look at him, a bright look in her eyes, "I'd jump in with you."

"Thanks, Rosa." He gives her a genuine smile back.

"Rosa!" Her husband peeks his head out from the inside of the Royal Unova. "Rosa! There you are!"

"Is something wrong?" She asks, turning and hurrying to Nate's side.

"No, it's just… I couldn't find you. Hilda was also looking for you earlier. Try not to wander off, okay? This is our wedding, not mine."

"But…" Rosa sighs and smiles. "Sorry. I just wanted to make sure of something. I'll try not to do it again."

"Good," Nate mutters, pressing a kiss to her temple. He looks up and locks eyes with Hugh. The black-haired man nods, and Nate gives him a half-smile before leaving. Rosa casts a helpless look between her childhood friend and her husband. Hugh shrugs before turning away.

He hears the door close behind him, and sighs. He should really think about something else. Not about her, not about his unrequited love.

So he lowers his head and lets the wind and churning waves against the side of the boat whisper broken and false promises into his ear that he knows won't come true.

~ / . / . / ~

The soft winds brush over the expanding sea, lapping at his shoes. He sighs, kicking them away, rolling his pants up, and drawing his toe through the hot sands. He glances up at the sound of children giggling, and watches them run up and down the wooden docks of Humilau City. With a grunt, he plops down into the warm golden sand, ignoring the bits of sand that crawl and rub against his bare skin.

Marlon's boisterous laugh echoes through the warm atmosphere, and Hugh glances over the ocean, spotting the gym leader atop his Wailord as he surfs the waves wildly. The water splashes ruthlessly against the docks and laps at the windows of the wooden huts, but no one comes out to complain or yell. It's normal to see the Water-type specialist goofing off instead of doing his job.

"Gym Leader Marlon! Can I ride with you!?"

"Shucks, little guy, I wish you could! But I got some catching up to do with an old friend!" Marlon's voice draws closer, and the waves that once lapped softly at Hugh now tear violently through the sand. The black-haired trainer just sighs as Marlon hops off his Wailord and lands beside him.

"How are you, old pal?"

"Not good," Hugh mutters, and Marlon nods understandingly.

"It's hard to get over something like that, isn't it?"

Rosa's childhood friend sighs, turning his head away. Marlon stretches out to lay a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but remembers his dripping wet fingers, and settles for patting Hugh's knee gently.

"Sorry, dude. I wish I could help you."

"It's not like I need help anyways," Hugh lets out another deep sigh, and glances up at the bright blue sky. "I'll get over it someday."

"Well, what does someday mean to you? Tomorrow? Or in forty years?"

Marlon's former challenger stares up at him with awe and terror in his eyes. "Marlon, you're getting all philosophical again."

"Heh. Sorry, man." He scratches the back of his head sheepishly, his blue hair rustling, and Hugh forces a laugh out of himself.

"No, it's not bad. It's just jarring hearing you switch… personalities, for lack of a better word, so quickly."

"You think so? Man, I should do that more often then."

"Please don't. I can't imagine how freaked out all the other gym leaders would be, not to mention the Elite Four. And Rosa."

The air around them silences as Hugh brings up his unrequited love, and a gloomy mood descends over the two trainers.

"Well…" Marlon coughs, gesturing awkwardly off into the distance, in the general direction of his gym. "I gotta get back. Never know when new challengers pop up, right?"

"Yeah." Hugh nods understandingly. "I got it. Go ahead."

The blue-haired gym leader leaps onto the Wailord waiting nearby, calling back to Hugh, "I'll see you then!"

Hugh waves, and Marlon takes off. The black-haired trainer stands up and stretches, a great yawn escaping his stretched mouth. He releases his Samurott, and the Water-type turns to stare at its trainer. A gentle breeze kicks up, and he runs his hands through his spiked hair.

"Come on. In the water you go, bud. I'm right behind you."

Samurott grunts and slides into the water effortlessly. With a reaffirmation that his pants are rolled up, he walks into the sea, wincing a bit at the frosty coldness of the water. Hugh lifts his eyes up to the clear blue sky, feeling the water lapping at his thighs and knees. A feeling of nostalgia courses through him, and he feels his eyes drifting closed.

"Still as attached to the water as you ever were, huh, Hugh?"

His eyes snap open and he tries to hide his flinch at the sound of her voice, murmuring softly under his breath, "Rosa." Samurott lets out a soft cry.

"What are you doing here?" She asks. The crunch of sand behind him and the nearing of her voice tells him she's walking closer to him.

"Enjoying a break. It's tiring to be a part of the Elite Four, you know?"

"I can imagine," Rosa murmurs, and the crunching and gentle movements behind him stop.

Taking in a deep breath, he turns abruptly, sending water skidding across the smooth blue sea and forming ripples.

The brown-haired movie star stands at the edge of the water, backing away whenever the lapping waves get a little too close to her heeled feet. One hand clings to the strap of her bag and the other props the sunglasses up onto the top of her head, resting in her chestnut brown hair. The zephyr gently brushes at her sundress, and loose strands from her bun sways alongside it.

"So? What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed time off to see my friends?" Rosa teases. "Caitlin said I'd find you here."

He twitches. "This is why I'd prefer not to be friends with a psychic."

She snorts. "Better than Grimsley. He'd have sucked all your money out of you with that gambling addiction he has."

"A man as old as him, gambling? Not too hard to see." He grins as Rosa swats him playfully. "Where is he now, anyways?"

"Some faraway region named Alola?" She shrugs. "The postcards came in right after you took your leave a few weeks ago, according to Marshall."

"Mm," he grunts, and then pauses. "Hey, you want to get in the water with me?"

"Now?" She asks incredulously.

"Yeah. Just a little wade. You said you were free, didn't you?"

She sighs. "You're lucky I'm your friend, you know?"

"Thanks, Rosa," Hugh grins, and she smirks back. She kicks off her heels and leans down to pick them up, holding both in one hand. Slowly, she makes her way through the ocean to Hugh's side, squeaking a bit at the cold water. He bites back a snort, waiting for her to get to his side. Samurott swims over to her side, and his childhood friend laughs as it nuzzles against her legs playfully.

"See? That wasn't too bad, now, was it?"

"It was fun," Rosa admits, "but Nate will be worrying about me. I should really be getting back now."

Hugh struggles to keep the smile on his face from falling off at the mention of her husband. "No problem. Sorry for dragging you in."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I told you, it was fun. Maybe I'll do it more often." Rosa gives him a bright smile gripping her heels in her hand. Raising a Pokéball above her head, she calls out Dragonite, who lets her climb on before dipping its head at Hugh and zooming off into the sky.

Hugh shields his eyes, watching her fly away. When she gets so small that she's just a speck of multiple colors in the sky, he turns to Samurott, letting his smile falter.

"You up for a surf, Samurott? And hearing me rant?"

~ / . / . / ~

Samurott glides through the water effortlessly, and Hugh stands atop its back as it coasts through the Undella Bay, a common sight nowadays to those that live in the small beachside town. Hugh sighs, running his hands through his slightly damp hair.

"I feel terrible," he complains.

Samurott grunts, an annoyed but amused look painting itself over its face. Its lips turn up in a smile, and Hugh swats at it. It lets out a deep sound akin to a laugh, and Hugh scoffs, patting it on the side of its head. "Alright, you dork. Turn around, head back to land. You're not going to be the only one in the water soon."

His partner snorts, pushing through the water and swerving in a large turn, jetting through the water towards the speck of beach in the distance. Hugh squints as his eyes catch a lone figure, standing on the edge of the ocean's lapping waves. He tenses as they draw closer, identifying them as one person that he did not want to see.

Samurott could feel Hugh tense up, but instead of turning away like his trainer wanted him to, the Water-type thrust himself forward, propelling through the water at speeds Hugh had never seen it done before.

"Samurott, stop," Hugh growls. Samurott speeds up, and Hugh loses his footing, slipping off his partner's back. In a flash, Samurott has his tail around Hugh's waist and is holding him above the water as he jets through it, rapidly approaching the beachside.

Tingly laughter reaches both their ears long before Samurott hauls himself into the hot white sands and deposits Hugh beside him.

"I tell you I feel terrible, and you treat me like this?" Hugh glares up at his partner.

Rosa pats Samurott on the back. "Congratulations, you've humiliated your trainer!"

"That's not an achievement to be proud of," the black-haired trainer butts in.

"It is," Rosa whispers, deliberately loud enough for Hugh to hear. He swivels his glare to her, but can't keep it up, and they both dissolve into peals of laughters that fills the beachside.

"So? What are you doing here?" He asks once they've quieted down.

"Nate and I are looking for a new place to live. We love Aspertia City, but it gets a little tedious having to fly there and back, now that PokéStar Studios is in Nimbasa. We'll probably live here when we filming. Sort of like a vacation house, I guess?"

"Oh, so you were the ones checking out that big mansion."

"How did you know?"

"Caitlin told me. Well, more specifically, she heard from Cynthia." Hugh stands, stretching. He unzips his jacket, and Rosa raises an eyebrow at him when she notices that he's wearing no shirt underneath, and that his shorts are swim trunks.

Hugh shrugs and directs his attention to her. "are you coming along for a swim?"

"Nope," she shakes her head. "I don't have any extra clothes on me, and the ones I'm wearing are way too complicated for me to even try and figure out."

He rolls his eyes, handing his jacket to her. "Whatever you want, Movie Star Rosa."

Samurott dives into the water with him, and even when the sun sets, they continue to swim. Whenever he comes back to shore, Hugh feels his heart surge because Rosa is still standing there throughout the night, a glimmer of unidentifiable emotion in her eyes.

~ / . / . / ~

Hugh nods to the band members, who wave back and continue to play their song of the Village Bridge.

He makes his way under the bridge, standing beside the trash can that Rosa had once fished the Leftovers item out of. He crouches and runs his hands through the clean water, letting it swirl at his fingertips.

Samurott jumps out of its Pokéball, and Hugh shares an understanding look with it. It lowers its head and slips into the water, ready for Hugh to hop on. He lifts a foot up, placing it on his partner's back and crouching, ready to jump on.

"There you are!"

Hugh glances up, seeing Rosa jump off of her Dragonite and land beside him.

"We're you looking for me?" He asks.

"Iris is. There's a new challenger. He's currently battling Shauntal, and she's down to her last Pokémon."

"Okay. Just give me a second." He turns back to his partner in the water.

She sighs as she notices he has one foot on Samurott's back and legs crouched, ready to leap somewhere. She has a good guess as to where that somewhere is.

"Swimming? Again?"

"Not a swim. Just a quick little surf. Want to join in?"

"No thanks. I… have to leave. I have to tell Iris where you are."

"That sucks," Hugh comments, crouching beside Samurott. "But come on. I'll surf over to the other side of the river. I'll come back to get you, I promise."

Rosa narrows her eyes and doesn't say a word as Hugh hops onto Samurott.

When he turns around at the other side of the river to call to her, she's gone.

~ / . / . / ~

It's dark, and Roxie's band is blaring somewhere in the background. He doesn't care.

He downs the soda can in his hands, crumpling the aluminum in his hand. Dropping the garbage into a trash can nearby, he leans against the outside wall of the old clubhouse. A particularly popular song starts up. People scream. He plugs his ears, a low growl starting up from the back of his throat. Someone taps his shoulder, and he whips around.

"Hugh," Rosa says his name in a strange way that she's never said it. He glances at her, and- is that disgust in her eyes and repulsiveness in her figure?

"Hey," he replies nonchalantly, trying to ignore the churning feelings in his gut.

"What are you… doing here?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I got an invitation from Roxie."

"So did I." Rosa's eyes flash purple in the flickering light of Roxie's gym sign, and they're brimmed with comfort, happiness, nostalgia, feelings that Hugh has long since forgotten. "Do you want to go with me?"

"Where's Nate?" Hugh practically spits. "Shouldn't he be with you?"

"Hugh, look. Just because he's my husband, doesn't mean he has to follow me everywhere."

"'Wherever you are, he is, and wherever he is, you are'," Hugh retorts, using his fingers to make air quotes. "I'm just saying. Maybe you guys should work out something less clingy."

Rosa stares at him, horrified. "Hugh, what-"

He cuts her off. "Or are you guys too busy playing husband and wife, or mommy and daddy of some imaginary family? Listen, I'm the one who deserved you, Rosa! Not some shitty movie star! Who was there when you got your first Pokémon? When you defeated Team Plasma? When you made it through the Victory Road? When you filmed your first blockbuster film? Me, not him." Hugh stops to take a breath, but turns away. "Go. Have your fun. Who cares at this point?"

"This is why I didn't marry you!" Rosa bursts. "You think you're so great! When will you be humbled, Hugh? Huh?" She reaches out and grabs him brusquely by the shoulder, spinning him around. "The world isn't about what you and what you want, okay!? I've told you this so many times, but do you listen? No! This is why I'd never marry you!"

"And you think he's any better!?" Hugh yells.

"He's better than you!" The movie star glares at her rival before shoving him away. "I thought I loved you. I thought I knew you. I guess I didn't."

Hugh spins on his heel, taking angry steps down the street leading him away from his lost love and towards the sea, the pitch black ocean of sorrows and loss.

"Where are you going?" Rosa calls after him.

"Somewhere where you won't find me," he retorts back, and trots down the port.

"Are you going for another swim? Why do you like the ocean so much anyways?"

He ignores her words and keeps walking towards the soft breeze of the sea that calls him, like a witch with a magical staff that promises he can mend Hugh's broken heart.

He gives in to the soothing wind and the smell of salt, even though he knows he'll never get better.

That they'll never get better.


End file.
